Emperor Namgung Mu of the Thousand Years - Chapter 33

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#033

 

“You’re finally leaving.”

 

The coachman said with a trembling voice.

 

“If anyone up there scolds you for being late, you can use me as an excuse. Say it was because I have motion sickness and we had to go slowly.”

 

-Thud.

 

I jumped down from the golden carriage.

 

Since the Sichuan Tang Family was right past the ravine anyway, and I saw no need to delay any further.

 

Most importantly.

 

‘I don’t have the confidence to explain.’

 

I didn’t want to drag along this innocent-looking coachman and show him that hellscape just to travel a bit more comfortably.

 

After I unloaded the luggage I had prepared from the carriage roof, the coachman departed.

 

“Phew, I’m still feeling uneasy though.”

 

On the surface, I’m like an unofficial envoy who came to pay respects to the Sichuan Tang Family and check on the situation.

 

Literally just like a guest who dropped by briefly while touring the Martial Arts World.

 

Therefore, on the surface, there’s definitely no need to be openly armed.

 

But since my assassin days, I’ve always gone fully armed from head to toe when visiting any friendly force.

 

There’s a saying that for a martial artist, using protective gear and protective equipment is a luxury and an insult to martial artists themselves, but I’m rooted as an assassin.

 

Though I’m currently pursuing growth as a martial artist, that’s a strategic choice for long-term, sustained development, and I had no intention of denying my roots and beginning as an assassin.

 

‘I definitely heard that the Sichuan Tang Family is good not only with poison techniques but also with crafting… I wonder if they can custom-make what I want.’

 

The Namgung Family’s ironworks also has excellent skills, but for me, that place is nothing more than fool’s gold.

 

Whatever I do there, I have to assume that information will reach unspecified masses. But if the Boatman ordered unique equipment that anyone would find peculiar? That would inevitably make me a target.

 

To build the skills to strike at opponents’ weak points,

 

And especially to acquire equipment, I absolutely had to prepare it while away from the Namgung Family.

 

“It’s regrettable, but I’ll have to make do with this for now.”

 

Equipment that I could currently manage while raising no suspicion whatsoever.

 

And outwardly, I wanted to dress only to the extent of a Namgung Family young master who was naive about worldly affairs and possessed only moderate martial arts skills.

 

A leather coat made of the toughest cowhide layered in opposite directions, and leather shoes reinforced with iron – that’s about all the preparation I could manage. Plus a three-span long medium-length sword that a young master would naturally carry, though I probably wouldn’t need to use it.

 

And lastly…

 

‘He wouldn’t have given me something useless.’

 

I examined the jade belt that Sword Master Hwirong Seo Gang-hyeok had given me.

 

“I wonder what it’s for.”

 

Sword Master Hwirong had said to use it and return it, and most importantly, that it was a training tool.

 

I examined the jade belt and let a bit of my internal energy flow into it.

 

During my time living at the bottom, I took on assassin contracts, but when even those weren’t available, I did all sorts of menial work to survive somehow.

 

I’d probably be better than most third-rate merchants at appraising gems and treasures to a certain level.

 

When I turned the belt over, I could see a piece of jade about the size of a thumb joint embedded in it.

 

“Jade with blue stripes would only be Drunken Immortal Jade, and it’s wrapped in a silver-plated band… And it’s positioned to touch exactly where the danjeon is.”

 

When I tried flowing my internal energy into it as a test, it was immediately sucked into the Drunken Immortal Jade embedded in the center.

 

“It’s for internal energy training.”

 

I had heard about this.

 

Just like training by attaching heavy weights to limbs to strengthen the body, there were training tools using Drunken Immortal Jade that deliberately imposed a burden on internal energy operation.

 

While wearing this, internal energy would continuously try to be sucked into the jade belt, and the main point of training was to resist that suction during the time you wore it.

 

The amount of internal energy is important, but the intensity of the flow when explosively releasing internal energy through blood vessels is also crucial.

 

This was exactly what would develop that power.

 

“With Drunken Immortal Jade of this size, it would probably absorb and conceal nearly sixty years’ worth of internal energy. Training aside…”

 

After finishing putting on the belt, I immediately departed for the Sichuan Tang Family.

 

I had already delayed long enough.

 

And there was no reason to delay any further.

 

The reason I deliberately dragged out time.

 

The reason I deliberately stretched out a month’s time wasn’t just for training.

 

-Caaaaw…!

 

I looked up at the sky at the sharp cry.

 

A white crow.

 

“Finally, you’re here…!”

 

I smiled brightly and extended my arm forward.

 

The white crow that had been circling in the air dove straight down as soon as I held out my hand, as if it had been waiting. Like being lightly flicked through the air, it hesitated just before landing on my arm, then gently grasped and settled on my forearm.

 

-Caw, caw…

 

I untied the small note attached to its neck.

 

There, written in very elegant calligraphy, was a message.

 

-Sorry for the delay. I’ve received confirmation, so there should be no problem.

 

There seemed to be other writing showing faintly through the back of the paper. I flipped it over.

 

-I used up all my quarterly weekly outer castle outing permits for this process. I now have restrictions on movement outside the outer castle without direct orders from the family head for the time being, so I cannot be of help to my lord.

 

Below that was additional writing, briefly written as if hesitating whether to write it or not.

 

-…Please return safely.

 

-I’ll be waiting at the annex with Wu Biaoyun, preparing meals for the three of us.

 

“…Guk, thank you.”

 

The crow flew away.

 

I took out my fire striker to burn the paper I’d received, following my past life’s habit.

 

Then I unfolded it again and read the message below.

 

“…”

 

After hesitating briefly, I put the fire striker back. I carefully folded the paper and stored it deep above my heart.

 

Now there was no reason to go slowly.

 

I headed toward the Sichuan Tang Family at full speed without delay.

 

I reached the front gate of the Sichuan Tang Family, with its green, massive roof, around the time dusk was falling.

 

As if no one would ever come here, all the lights were out.

 

Complete non-response.

 

It was exactly as Bugaju Namgung Seong-tae had said.

 

Since there was no official word from the Namgung Family that I was coming, from the Sichuan Tang Family’s perspective, I was just an unwelcome outsider.

 

And it was natural that unwelcome outsiders, even if they followed the implicit etiquette of the Martial Arts World by visiting between sunrise and the time between breakfast and lunch, might or might not be turned away at the gate.

 

Especially if it was the Sichuan Tang Family, notorious for being particularly eccentric.

 

I raised my head to look at the massive gate.

 

“…The gate is closed.”

 

And I muttered.

 

“That can’t be right.”

 

“…Are you Young Master Namgung Hwi?”

 

I looked to the side.

 

A small door next to the gate was open.

 

There was an old man holding a lantern.

 

“Your appearance matches the description we received. Please come in. We received word that you would arrive today without fail, so we’ve been waiting.”

 

“Are you Steward Gam of the Tang Family?”

 

I bowed politely with cupped hands.

 

“I apologize for being late. The road to Sichuan was treacherous and our carriage wheels got stuck several times. Since it seemed we would be delayed, I had our main family send a message through official courier via carrier pigeon beforehand… I’m truly sorry.”

 

“Sorry? Not at all! Absolutely not!”

 

Steward Gam bowed deeply as if it were completely unnecessary, or rather as if he were the one who should be grateful.

 

“I never expected the Namgung Family to show us such consideration. The Namgung Family has their own reputation to consider, yet you’ve been so discreet out of concern that bad rumors about the Tang Family might spread, and you even sent a boatman directly. No, that’s not even the most surprising part.”

 

Steward Gam nodded his head again as if in admiration.

 

“Not just any ordinary messenger, but when sending someone at the Tang Family’s request, you showed such courtesy by sending the legendary White Crow of the Namgung Family as a courier just to inform us of a slight delay. What greater respect could you show our Tang Family than this? Please, never speak of apologies again.”

 

Seeing that reaction, I’m certain.

 

‘It worked perfectly.’

 

There was no official position statement to begin with.

 

And Bugaju thought he would be turned away at the gate because of this absence.

 

That assessment was completely correct.

 

This was between two great families.

 

Without proper procedures, they wouldn’t accept visitors even for the sake of their dignity.

 

So I thought in reverse.

 

What if I made it appear as if this was an intentionally planned, unofficial contact from the start?

 

According to information I gathered separately, Steward Gam had actually made an unofficial request for help to the Namgung Family through Bugaju.

 

I don’t know what happened to the Sichuan Tang Family, but something definitely occurred. Something that would be awkward to spread officially.

 

So what if I came with the intention of respecting the Tang Family’s situation?

 

Then the absence of official documents would be natural.

 

But if I just appeared out of nowhere claiming I came secretly from the Namgung Family, that wouldn’t be credible.

 

That’s why I was deliberately late.

 

While I was intentionally taking my time traveling slowly,

 

As if to apologize for the delayed arrival schedule.

 

As if the Namgung Family, upon receiving word of my delay, panicked and urgently sent an official courier, I had Baekjao deliver an unofficial letter to the Sichuan Tang Family saying I would arrive soon.

 

It was none other than Baekjao.

 

Baekjao, the ghost of the Namgung Family, was unmatched in lightness skills and stealth, and his very existence was noble and served as proof itself.

 

Since that being personally stepped forward to announce my coming, and it wasn’t even a lie, just having Baekjao Guk deliver the simple message that I was coming to the Sichuan Tang Family without any exaggeration or false reporting was more than enough to secure the ‘official audience’ I desperately needed, and from the Sichuan Tang Family’s perspective, I was no longer an unwelcome intruder they could ignore.

 

Baekjao Guk, following my pre-departure instructions, took the pre-written letter containing ‘apologies for unavoidable delay’ exactly fifteen days later and traveled the shortest route across the mountains to the Sichuan Tang Family and back.

 

Of course, during that process, Guk must have run like mad, and he said he used up all his week-long outside leave…

 

I expressed my gratitude once more to Guk, who had traversed between the Sichuan Tang Family and Namgung Family through thickets to shorten the route in just seven days.

 

‘Later, I’ll buy you lots of delicious food, Guk. I’m sorry.’

 

After hesitating briefly, I muttered once more.

 

‘I’ll buy you so much that you’ll need plum syrup for digestion.’

 

Bugaju Namgung Seong-tae could never have imagined such a thing.

 

Guk wasn’t just an ordinary member of the Namgung Family’s elite guard unit White Crow. He held the position of the 18th unit of the Namgung Family’s White Crow.

 

Those assigned White Crow numbers were not only allowed to command subordinates but also permitted a certain degree of independent action and judgment. With his appointment as boatman making my protection his primary duty, such brief private missions were possible with the consent of me, the subject of his protection.

 

Of course, the subject of protection was absolutely not the superior of White Crow.

 

Therefore, this kind of private utilization was a method that other Namgung Family members wouldn’t even think of or consider.

 

No, beyond all that, he could never have imagined that someone would have personal bonds with an agent of the Namgung Family’s ghosts, especially a numbered agent, no matter how much information he had gathered.

 

“Since it’s late at night, please keep your presence quiet so as not to wake others.”

 

“Understood.”

 

“Well then.”

 

Steward Gam looked at me while holding the lantern.

 

“Shall we go right away? He’s already waiting. I’ve already finished discussing everything regarding the Namgung Family’s visit, so he’ll welcome you warmly.”

 

Since it was late at night, I had expected to go directly to my lodging for today, so I hesitated.

 

“…Waiting? At this hour…?”

 

“Ah, you might be surprised. He has a personality that dislikes postponing things.”

 

“But who exactly?”

 

“In this territory of Sichuan, if there’s someone who would want to meet you in the dead of night, who else could it be?”

 

…Surely not.

 

Under the lantern light, Steward Gam nodded with a calm smile.

 

“Young Master, you will now go to meet the master of the Tang Family, Master of the Tang Family Tang Mujin.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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